About Bell Mortgage

In 2011, Minneapolis-based Bell Mortgage became a part of what was then State Bank & Trust, in a history-making venture for both companies. The bank was founded in 1966 and has provided home loans in and around the region for decades. Bell Mortgage has literally been a part of Minnesota since the state’s infancy. The oldest and largest independent mortgage banking company in Minnesota, it was founded in 1880 by early Minneapolis leader David C. Bell. Since then, Bell Mortgage has added locations throughout the Twin Cities and in Phoenix, developed its own proprietary technology for processing and underwriting, and has thousands of family mortgages to its name. In 2012, State Bank & Trust rebranded as Bell State Bank & Trust, taking on the Bell name to give a more unique identity to a known and respected regional brand. Bell State Bank & Trust and its Bell Mortgage division have developed large commercial and mortgage loan volumes in the Twin Cities, an area of anticipated future growth.

THE BUSINESS BANK AND PRIME MORTGAGE

In early 2013, Bell State Bank & Trust announced its intention to acquire The Business Bank and Prime Mortgage, both based in Minneapolis. Formed in 1999, The Business Bank acquired Prime Mortgage in 2007 to widen its range of products and combine resources to continue to grow. Prime Mortgage was founded in 1985, growing from a single small office in Edina to multiple offices around the Twin Cities and a seasonal office in Naples, Florida. Prime Mortgage has ranked as one of the largest independent mortgage companies in Minnesota. This combination of resources – Bell State Bank & Trust, Bell Mortgage, The Business Bank and Prime Mortgage – under the Bell State Bank & Trust umbrella gives our customers a great selection of mortgage options, always competitive rates, and continued, outstanding personal service from lenders who walk you through the process. We work hard to make your home loan easy from start to finish!

What You Can Expect in the Mortgage Process

Trust the biggest purchase of your life to our experience. Whether you’re on your way to getting your first home, your next home, or a better rate on your existing mortgage, we will walk you through every step of the loan process. Now is the perfect time to get in touch with us and get the personal advice and guidance Bell Mortgage is famous for.

We’ve built the most convenient home loan service ever! Once you’ve had all your questions answered and you’re ready to start the home loan process, this is what you can expect.

1.In less than 20 minutes, you can complete our online application.

The pre-approval application asks you questions about the home you wish to buy or refinance and your finances. To process your application, we need financial information about you – your current mortgage or rent, your other loans, your income, your assets, etc. As soon as you’ve finished the application, we review your request and immediately begin to process it.

2. We’ll send you an application package and prepare your loan for processing.

Your loan application will include papers to sign and a list of items we’ll need to verify the information you provided about your finances during the online application.

Here is a summary of the forms involved:

Good Faith Estimate of Settlement Costs
This details the loan amount and all related charges and fees.

Truth in Lending Disclosure
This lets you know what your estimated annual percentage rate of interest (APR) will be and any other program features that apply.

Borrowers Certification
When you sign this, you authorize that all the information you provided is correct to the best of your knowledge. It also lets us finalize the process by contacting your landlord, employer, mortgage company, etc. and getting your credit report.

3.Appraisal

Next, we order the appraisal from a licensed appraiser who is familiar with home values in your area to determine its fair market value. The appraiser visits the property and compares its features, floor plan, lot, etc. against other similar properties in the area. (You receive a copy of the appraisal.)

4.We’ll contact you to coordinate your closing date.

After we receive your application package, the appraisal and the title work, we contact you to schedule your loan closing. If you are purchasing a home, we also schedule the closing with the real estate agent. The closing takes place at an approved title office in your area. A few days before closing, we contact you to walk through the final information.

Our mortgage experts will provide help and guidance through the entire home loan process! Questions? Call 855-450-7990.

Mortgage Calculators & FAQs

Need answers to your questions about mortgages? We’ve got ’em! You can find the answers to your mortgage questions on our FAQs page and use our mortgage calculators.

Home Construction Loans

You talked about it, dreamed about it, and now you’re ready to build your new home. Let us make the process a smooth one, from your construction loan to permanent home financing. Build on our experience to help bring your dream home to life. Our home construction lenders offer you:

Experience – We know the neighborhoods, local contractors and subcontractors, construction processes, costs and loan options.

Flexibility – We can work with contractors, or directly with you as the general contractor.

Credibility – We work with reputable, licensed builders.

Economy – We offer competitive rates on loan options that fit you, with local underwriting and processing.

Simplicity – We team up to create a smooth transition from your construction loan to permanent home financing.

Benefits –

Financing costs are known up-front and are not buried into the cost of the home

We allow for higher loan-to-values with low initial down payments.

You may finance closing costs into the construction loan.

Interest paid during construction may be tax deductible along with certain closing costs. (Consult your tax advisor about the deductibility of interest and closing costs.)

Our home construction loan officers assist builders and consumers with construction financing needs. Contact one of our experts today. You can also contact any bank or Bell Mortgage location and ask for a construction lender. (Sorry, we do not offer home constructions loans in Arizona.)